Note: the CD I listened to was the 2006 Rudy Van Gelder Edition.
I've written before about my fantasy of playing jazz vibes and I bought this album to get my jazz vibes fix. It almost worked because Hutcherson - even at age 25 - was a heckuva player, but Herbie Hancock steals the show here. Even the reviewer for DownBeat magazine boosted the album's rating a full star just for Hancock's performance. Overall, a relaxing, highly enjoyable set from this quartet.
Complete liner notes by Leonard Feather.
Hutcherson - vibes, marimba
Herbie Hancock - piano
Bob Cranshaw - bass
Joe Chambers - drums
Reviews/ratings:
- CashBox: "The LP shapes up as a big winner."
- Billboard: ★★★★
- Downbeat (★★★★★): "Their sound is well balanced, and they seem to enjoy playing together. I know that I enjoy listening to them."
- The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★½
- The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard Top 200: Did not chart
- Billboard Jazz: #10
- Record World Jazz: #11
Tracks: The best tune is Hancock's Maiden Voyage which rivals Hancock's own recording. Hutcherson wrote the remaining 6 cuts, and of those my favorites are the two ballads Bouquet and When You Are Near. The others (Aquarian Moon, Rojo, and Head Start) swing nicely. The final track, The Omen, is a free jazz chart that doesn't do much for me so I'll usually just stop after 6 tracks.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None
I played a few songs off of uTube from this release to see if I could expand my Jazz world but, alas, I headed back to my Holly Cole CD library. Given that she is not considered actual jazz by the aficionados on forums, I guess I am not jazz-y. Oh well, new CD in Jan from Ms Cole so looking forward to that. Hope you had a great Xmas and will have a Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI put Cole in the same category as Jane Monheit and Lindsey Webster - not for jazz purists but I sure like hearing them sing and will continue to enjoy their offerings!
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